Characterisic soil mite’s communities (Acari: Gamasina) for some natural forests from Bucegi Natural Park – Romania

• Published in: Periodicum biologorum Vol. 116; no. 3; p. 303
• Main Authors: MANU, MINODORA, ION, STELIAN
• Format: Paper
• Language: English
• Published: Hrvatsko prirodoslovno društvo 30-09-2014
• Subjects: cluster; correlation; forest; gamasid; humus, litter
• ISSN: 0031-5362; 1849-0964

Background and Purpose: One of the most important characteristics
of a natural ecosystem is its stability, due to the species’ and communities’ diversity. Natural forest composition model constitute the main task of the present-day management plans. Soil mites are one of the most abundant edaphic communities, with an important direct and indirect role in decomposing, being considered bioindicators for terrestrial ecosystems. The aim of the paper was to identify characteristics of soil mites community’s structure.
Materials and Methods: Soil mites community’s structure (composition
of the species assemblage, abundance of the species, species associations and interdependence between species) from three mature natural forest ecosystems, from Bucegi Natural Park -Romania, were analyzed using statistical analyses, which combine two different methods: cluster analysis and correlations.
Results: Two different species associations were described. One of them was identified as stable association in a hierarchical cluster and another, subset of the first, was composed by species pair wise positive correlate (monotonic associations). The number of species grouped in stable associations was similar in both soil layers (OLF and OH), but different in every type of ecosystems: lowest in fir forest, medium in spruce area and the highest in beech forest. 66.6% of species from stable associations were included in
monotonic association. Veigaia nemorensis and Neopodocinum mrciaki were common species for all investigated ecosystems, in both soil layers, as well as for stable and monotonic associations.
Conclusions: The present study revealed that each type of ecosystem was characterised by a stable and monotonic associations. 24.74% from all identified species were grouped in these associations.